Wall Roman Site and City Ruins

In the early morning sunshine of 19th August 2022

Dated as far back as AD50, the remains of the Roman city in the English village of “Wall” which was known at the time as “Letocetum” (Author’s Collection).

According to the 2011 national census, the tiny village of Wall had a population of just 433 hardy souls and no doubt every single one of these souls was/is fully aware of the mythos and legends surrounding the ruins of the Roman City otherwise known as “Letocetum” that sits squarely in the heart of their quiet rural community on the outskirts of the cathedral city of Lichfield. A decade has since past and I doubt much has changed, certainly not within the ruins of the city herself and whilst, strictly speaking, a rather “dry” visit as there isn’t a huge amount of the city remaining, please don’t discount this if your travelling feet whisk you in the direction of the English Midlands as you’d miss out on this historic gem, as well as the beautifully quaint and picture postcard that is the St John The Baptist Church that oversees the ruins from a slightly raised hill position.

Known throughout the country as the Wall Roman City Ruins, it’s strictly speaking the remains of a city called “Letocetum” and here’s the opening paragraph from www.en.wikipedia.org

Letocetum is the ancient remains of a Roman settlement. It was an important military staging post and posting station near the junction of Watling Street, the Roman military road to north Wales, and Icknield (or Ryknild) Street (now the A38). The site is now within the parish of Wall, Staffordshire, England. It is owned and run by the National Trust, under the name Letocetum Roman Baths Site & Museum. The site is in the guardianship of English Heritage as Wall Roman Site.

Heading in the direction of nearby Lichfield for a morning in the sun of that particularly beautiful cathedral city, I couldn’t resist making this my first port of call in yet another day of “making memories” and I’m thoroughly glad I did.

I hope you enjoy the pictorial roll of images and colour commentary that follows. All quotes are strictly and accurately taken from the well preserved and maintained information boards.

*All images captured by me on Friday 19th August 2022*

Welcome to the site of the Wall Roman city otherwise known as “Letocetum”.

Our first view of the entire site as well as the piercing spire of the St John The Baptist Church that overlooks the site. Typically English Summer sky but no threat of rain. Perfect!

“The Heated Rooms” — “Here you can see the tepidarium, a warm room, and beyond it, the caldarium, a hot room like a Turkish bath provided with basins of water which bathers could splash about to make steam”.

“The Changing Room” — “This unheated room (frigidarium) was probably a changing room for parts of its life, as well as forming the start to the finish of the bathing sequence”.

“The Exercise Hall” — “The baths were a focus of social life in a Roman town, a place for exercise, relaxation and meeting friends as well as for bathing. In Mediterranean countries the exercise hall was usually an open courtyard (Palaestra) but here it is likely to have been a covered hall”.

“The Mansio” — “The massive stone foundations suggest that the Mansio was a two-storey building. It was probably constructed with a timber frame which would have rested on top of the stone foundations. The walls were possibly plastered”.

A close up of the site from the side as we progress up the slight incline leading to the magnificent church.

One of the numerous brilliantly maintained information boards.

Used as the cover image for this article but a favourite image too from a beautiful morning in the sun.

“The Roman Town” — Part 1.

“The Roman Town” — Part 2.

Say hello to the picture postcard beautiful St John The Baptist Church.

A rear view of the church.

And a final image set against such a beautiful morning sky.

Thank you. I shall return one day.

Your humble narrator chasing the sun in the ruins of “White Ladies Priory”, early August 2022 (Author’s Collection).

Thanks for reading. My “Summer Project” has taken me to the waterways and many historical castle ruins as I’ve crisscrossed the border between England and Wales and my three most recently published travel articles are linked below:

Early morning sunshine from Stourport-on-Severn

Reflections from Bratch Locks

Shakespeare in the Stratford Sunshine — Part 6